I Wanna Talk About Me!

Okay, so the post isn't so much about me, but I haven't really done much of a post about us as a family lately!

Things at work have definitely calmed down in the sense that I'm not working 12-14 hour days. The project is still busy, but I don't think it'll ever not be in full-steam-ahead mode even though I'm ready to get back to my routine. Matt's work has been slower since it is the off-season for lacrosse. In the off-season they close the store on Sundays and have more restricted hours... I love it! It means that we always have Sunday off together... its exhausting to only get to see him nights when we works whole weekends (sometimes) during busy season.



I can't remember if I mentioned that my friend Brooke just had her 3rd daughter recently (she'll be 2 weeks on Sunday). Her oldest is 3 1/2 and middle daughter is Jack's age... she's going to be one busy mama! She's also an AMAZING photographer (I've put her Facebook "fan bage" on the side of my blog) who's done all of our family pictures since Matt & I got engaged. Well, tonight we took them dinner and got to visit with two other families that we're all good friends with... it was such a fun night! I brought a crock-pot pasta dish which I really liked (I think it went over well with others, too) and cookies while my friend brought garlic bread & salad. To our surprise and excitement, Brooke & her husband asked Matt & I to be baby Emma's godparents! I'm SO excited and honored to be such a special part of this beautiful baby's life. I'm also the godmother to our youngest nephew and Matt is godfather to our oldest nephew. It is an amazing responsibility and I am so proud to be entrusted with being a source of guidance in faith in my godchildren's lives. Here's a picture of Matt with Emma from tonight:
Jack is sneaking out of the side of the picture because I originally wanted to get him in it, but he was too interested in playing with his friends! Jack is wishy-washy about Emma, got to "hold" her one evening when we were visiting and he kind of pet her head, but he was very sweet and had such a look of pride when he was finished holding her (insert comment asking when are we having another baby below; not really). But tonight when I was sitting on the couch holding her, he was NOT okay with it... he needed to be right next to me with my arm around him. He's still my little baby, and I kind of love it when he stakes his claim like that.

In other Jack news, he now is very interested in using utensils with his meals. Forks are very cool and Grandma got him some Disney Cars "big boy" silverware (a fork & spoon). I will have to try and get a picture of him using them, he's not too bad for getting started... definitely not great at the gathering of/picking up the food but he can get it in his mouth when on a fork or spoon. He's also been into graham crackers, or as we call them "cookies"... and when I say into, I mean he'll go to our pantry and bang on the doors yelling and occasionally saying "Kkkk" (with a a bit of phelm (sp?) behind it, haha) in attempt to say "cookie".

I've been getting excited for Halloween and trying to figure out what Jack should dress-up as... my MIL has offered to sew a costume if we want. Feel free to suggest anything in the comments! I guess we should really get on that decision so she has plenty of time to get it done. Speaking of upcoming holidays (ok, I know all holidays are pretty far away), but I'm REALLY excited for Halloween (one of my favorite holidays), getting to decorate our house and pass out candy to trick-or-treaters!

This weekend will be busy! Tomorrow morning we're walking in the American Heart Association Heart Walk with my company (now 5th in central Ohio for companies with participating teams). Starting in the afternoon, I will be with friends celebrating my friend, Jessie's bachelorette party... we're getting a party bus, so should be a lot of fun! I am a bridesmaid in her wedding at the end of September and we've been friends since college. She and her fiance, Russell, have been together since high school and are SO cute! He's hilarious too... always a good time! They both live about 2 or so hours away from here as of recently so it'll be nice to get to see her! On Sunday, I will be going to a jewelry party at a friend's house... should be fun and maybe I'll get some [very] early Christmas shopping done, as I won't be spending any money on myself.

Hope everyone has a good weekend!

CDing

I'm using the shorthand for cloth diapering in the title because we've really decided to stick with it! I guess we'll call ourselves a cloth diapering (or CDing) family! Here are some updates on the diapers we've recently started using as well as some updated observations (in no particular order):

• Rumparooz (one-size, pocket cloth diaper): I really like these diapers and they've been working really well for us so far! We've used them at nights (with the regular & newborn insert) as well as during the day. They are pretty bulky no matter what for an older baby (using the bigger insert Jack has major bubble butt), but at night it really doesn't bother me so I think we might try and stick with these as nighttime diapers. They might also work really well for a newborn or smaller baby just using the newborn insert. They are SUPER soft so I think they feel nice for Jack. Also, they have the most colors available that I've seen!
• GroVia (one-size, hybrid): We're not really thrilled with this diaper... the fit is kind of weird on Jack and, I wasn't going to call it out at first, but, it was the diaper that Matt had the major poo explosion in. I still really want to try it with the disposable inserts. The velcro closures are some of the nicest I've seen too. Its just ok for pee diapers (the snap in soaker bunches up on Jack pretty bad, works but annoys me) so I wouldn't count it out for daytime use. Definitely the last diaper I'd grab for a diaper change. I am disappointed because the concept is pretty neat, but it just doesn't work that well on Jack. We'll hold on to it in case it fits better on another child down the road.
• Tots Bots Easy Fit (one-size, pocket/all-in-one): So I want a lot of these! They dry fast, and fit Jack REALLY well. The velcro closures end up being our favorite because he's such a busy guy (too cool for diaper changes these days; places to go, people to see)... plus I feel like they will help for adjusting for any size/shape baby down the road. From what I've read is that the velcro closures wear out in the long run, but these feel REALLY secure and I've read review that people don't like them because they're too strong (not a bad thing in my book). They are the same concept as a pocket but with the attached soaker to stuff it is kind of like a all-in-one because its less of a matching game (I guess our matching game is worse because we are trying lots of different types). Let's just say I'm REALLY excited that I read they're going to offer prints soon.
• Happy Heiny (one-size, pocket): This is still a bulkier diaper, but it works... it is however the only diaper that currently smells like ammonia (already?!) after Jack pees in it. I'm going to try new soap I think, but so far its not been affecting him, doesn't stink after I washing, it just stinks after its been sitting. (I feel like as a chemist I should be figuring this one out quickly, but I'm just not too worried at this point). I do like the velcro closures though... really nice quality in my opinion!
• BumGenius Deluxe (one-size, pocket): These are nice... I like them a lot, I just don't love them. They do work perfectly and aren't too bulky, but they don't necessary feel like the "highest" quality, by no means cheap feeling but I like the feel of the Tots Bots better. We probably won't buy more of these unless we have other (less favored) diapers that start going bad or wearing out down the road.
• BumGenius 4.0 (large for 22-30 pounds, all-in-one): I like this one a lot too, very trim & looks great under Jack's clothes! I would love to buy more of these in sizes for Jack and in sizes for future children because they're SO easy. The major downside for me is the amount of dry time. I see it as such a major negative at this point because our stash is on the small side so there could be situations where we need a diaper NOW and if its the last one & still damp... of course worst case but ehh, just annoying at this point. I do like them a lot and in sized diapers since you don't use them for the entire "diapered career" of your little one it [in theory] won't wear out super quick like the one-sized.
• Thirsties Duo Diaper (two-sized we got the bigger one, pocket): This one is just ok.... we've never had any leaks and it is pretty trim, but I'm not crazy about it. The quality doesn't seem to be that great, we've had it for only a few weeks but already had the velcro tabs come undone in the wash & get attached to another diaper (no snags yet). The 2-piece insert with 1/2 using hemp helps make it super absorbent & still trim... I do like that a lot! With the fabric quality not feeling that great to me, I don't know if we'd buy too many more, but they do work and are economical!
• Flip (hybrid, one-sized): I'm actually kind of surprised at how much I like this one! Its pretty economical, fits Jack well, and is trim! Not super crazy about the lack of ability to secure the insert to the cover, but it is probably easier then using a prefold and a cover (but you could use the cover with prefolds because they have a display at our local store that shows it with a prefold). It doesn't come with two sized inserts (one for newborn, one for everything else) though, so on a littler baby it would probably be pretty bulky. I am interested in trying the disposable inserts in the future... just no "need" at the moment.

Other observations:

• We've got two diaper wet bags (both Planet Wise); one for the diaper bag and one for every day use. I like the zipper closure and our bigger one has a strap that we just hang on a hook by our washer & dryer. Washes up nicely, just takes a LONG time to dry (one cycle in the dryer + hanging overnight) but I would guess that because the inside is not supposed to let moisture or stink out, it just won't allow a lot of air circulation for drying. We don't use a diaper pail because we've still got the Diaper Genie in Jack's room so I don't really feel the drive to get one... and we're not really going more than one or two days between washing diapers & the bag.
• We haven't tried cloth wipes... I don't know if we want to go there. I've heard nasty things about wipe warmers & mold/mildew. Maybe someday... no rush for now because wipes tend to be so much more economical than diapers and they're useful for more than just diaper changes so we'd never be able to fully break ourselves! (Forget the Tide-to-go pen just get me a baby wipe for spills & stains.)
• Even though for logistics sake we can make it two days without washing diapers, I've still been doing them each night to give plenty of dry time no matter which diapers (all-in-one v. pocket, etc.) are in the load. I'd like to get another 3-5 before I would feel comfortable going the full 2 days between washing. That's probably me being conservative, but I feel as a working mom I need to have that flexibility.

I'm currently washing a small load of diapers, but here's what we've got ready for tomorrow:

We've got them stored on a shelving unit we have on top of our blankets. We've got diapers and extra (usually newborn sized) inserts for the pockets. And yes, I did notice the color scheme on the two sides because I had two piles going. Oh well!

Working Motherhood

I'm not sure on the exact date, but I real date of my 1st year of a working mom has recently passed. It has been almost the same as looking back on Jack's 1st year with us... bittersweet.

On one hand, I'm proud that I continue to kind of make it work (I have to, right?) and how amazing my family has been supporting me through working-motherhood. We pay our bills, get family time in as much as possible, and attempt to be successful by being dedicated to our jobs. I am amazed at the length of time that I continued to breastfeed my son while working, I was discouraged when I made the decision to stop but I have to try and be proud of myself for making it to 8 months (6 of those working). The shear act of childbirth and recovery is an amazing feet for all women... all mother's should be proud of the ability we have as women to bring life into this world.

On the other hand, it is a continuous struggle to be away from my child through most of his waking hours during such an amazing time in his life (no time in his life will be any less amazing). I have my moments where I'm insanely jealous of the amount of time my husband gets to spend with Jack, but I have to remember what a beautiful father-son relationship they have. Matt gets to snuggle every morning and give him his breakfast... I guess, I miss my snuggly baby who is not so snuggly in the afternoons when I get one-on-one time. Coupled with the pressure of trying to keep up managing a household; with which my husband is amazing at helping with, but with both of us working its an exhausting effort for both of us. My favorite times are long weekends when I feel like I can actually get caught up on stuff around the house while Jack was napping. I don't know how 1 extra weekend day really adds that much time, but I guess I'm not as focused on recouping from the long work week because I have additional time to unwind.

All in all, I will call it a successful year as a working mom... I can not think of it as anything but successful. I must work to help support our family and I must be the best mom that I can be, part of that is helping to support our family. I am working everyday to accept the fact that I must work outside of our home, as hard as it is emotionally. Also, I know that if I were to ever get to be a stay-at-home mom, that too will be incredibly tough so I do not want to downplay any moms who work very hard at home taking care of their children.

Here is my reason for waking up and going to work every day:

This is a picture of Jack and I walking to read a bedtime story one night... enjoying beautiful moments like this are important to getting through the difficulty of being away so much.

Diapering Reviews/Updates!

I'll start out with the newest diapers we got & first impressions. They're currently in the washer so we'll get to start using them sometime this weekend!

• Rumparooz (one-size, pocket diaper): We ordered two because of the rave reviews, one in "Lazy Lime" and another in "Platinum", both with snap closures. I LOVE the platinum color, too cute! They do come in velcro (which is nice for quick diaper changes), but we like snaps because Jack can't undo them! Well, at first glance I love the inserts that come with the diaper! Since it is a one-size they came with a newborn insert and a regular insert... it is called a 6-r soaker. It can be folded or paired 6 different ways! You'd have to see the diagram that is on their diaper packaging, but its a neat concept! The diaper has inner gussets, which are slightly different then the double gussets on the Thirsties Duo, but I'm not sure how they'll differ in functionality. It also has what is advertised as a "poop scoop" which is supposed to prevent blowouts... who doesn't want to prevent poopy blowouts?! What I think is the neatest part about this diaper, it can supposedly be used for babies as small as 6 lbs up to 35 or more pounds! The inside that goes against baby's bottom is the softest I've felt, I just hope it washes well and keeps the softness!
• We also got a 2nd TotsBots pocket (in lemon), I'll explain why below. Jack does love to undo the velcro so we can't ever let him just run around the house in just the diaper for a bit!

After a week's worth of diapering here are some more insights with the diapers we got last week:

• Thirsties Duo Diaper: I really like this as a very basic diaper! They're pretty cost effective for a one-size diaper, but I don't know that they feel that "high quality". They seem to do the job though! The insert (which is actually two layers that snap together before inserted into the diaper) is microfiber for the quick absorption away from his bottom, but the bottom layer is hemp/cotton. Apparently, hemp is known in the cloth diapering world for the ability to absorb a lot. Well, I'd agree with this statement because every time we've washed & dried, they never fully dry in the dryer so they always have to hang overnight. These diapers do seem to be pretty thin and fit pretty well under his clothes. We haven't tried this diaper overnight, and I don't think we would unless we added a prefold or other doubler.
• BumGenius Deluxe All-in-One: I really like the all-in-one sized diaper! It is great for quick changes and fits REALLY trim. The big downside is the extended drying time it needs, easily overnight. The fact that this diaper is a sized diaper is both a plus and a minus in my book... it is nice because of such a great fit, but not so great that if we were to go with all sized diapers we'd have to buy a lot. I have heard though that if you stick with all one-size diapers that they typically don't make it through all of your kids because they will wear out after repeated washing over YEARS and YEARS! I think we'll always have a couple of these in the rotation because of their ease (especially when out & about) and great fit. They're also cheaper than most one-size pocket diapers so if we were to go with more all-in-ones they would be decently cost effective.
• TotsBots Easy Fit: Well, we bought a 2nd one so that should've given you a tip that we like it! I must quote my husband, the first time we put it on Jack he was changing the diaper and said "Wow, this fits him really well!" Matt doesn't really get excited about diaper changes of any kind, so the fact that he noticed it is a good sign. The outer fabric feels to be a higher quality than all other diapers we have, and you do pay little of a higher price. I love that this diaper can be dried in the dryer and it feels VERY soft against baby. I read after we had washed & used these, that you're supposed to wash them a few times to get to full absorbancy... this is probably why the one time we used them overnight we had a leak (just pee). Contributing factors could be: 1) we didn't double up on inserts like we had with other diapers and 2) he wasn't changed 1st thing when he woke up... and it must have happened after waking because his clothes were dry when we got him up. They have a newborn size and at this point, I think we'd definitely get a few for our next child.

I know a couple of my readers have been enjoying the cloth diapering information so I hope this is helpful.

Busy busy!

Man, I can't believe I haven't written in almost a week! This week has gone by fast... thank goodness! Work has been extremely busy these days... both good and not so good reasons.

Things have been going well, nothing too new to discuss though! I'm going to post the link to my "personal site" for the Columbus Heart Walk that is going on a week from Saturday that we're participating with through my company. After everything we went through with my mother-in-law last winter, we find this cause so very important to us and our family! Heart disease is the number one killer of women. We have a family history of heart problems on both sides of our family, my grandpa & both of Matt's grandpa. It is definitely something I worry about, not only for us but for our children. If you feel so inclined, please donate to the cause here. I found out today that Scotts was the first company in the Columbus heart walk that reached their fundraising goal and is currently 9th in top fund raising for companies the total of teams! Any contribution is GREATLY appreciated and really will make a difference!

We recently went through all of Jack's clothes to sort through the things he has grown out of and to see what we had in future sizes. We were lucky enough to get gifts last Christmas from family in Chicago (they do gifts for every baby's 1st Christmas) but the sizes were all 18-24 months for winter clothes. I was so worried at that point because of the rate at which Jack was moving through sizes the season wouldn't match up. Well, long story short those close will probably be perfect for winter and early spring and I'm very excited he'll get to wear them since they're adorable clothes! The cloth diapers that we've been using DEFINITELY make his pants fit pretty snug at this point; we've moved up a size at least in pants and I expect that trend to continue. I also went to Kohl's last night to use a 30% off coupon (on top of their sale prices, of course) and I got some A.MAZ.ING deals! Here's what I was able to get for $62.27:

• 2 pair of pants (1 in 18 mos, 1 in 24 mos)
• 5 shirts/onsies (4 in 18 mos, 1 in 24 mos)
• 1 fleece sweatshirt/pullover (in 18 mos)
• 4 sets of pajamas (1 in 18mos, 3 in 24 mos/2T) <- Yes, I've bought my son 2T clothes and it makes me kind of sad! They definitely look like they'll fit him SOON though, so I bit the bullet.
• That's 12 items (including 2-pc PJs as 1 item) for under $5.19 a piece!

I'm going to be doing a cloth diaper update tomorrow after a week of using the new diapers & we should be getting a few more soon. I've been splitting up my orders because I want to try different types and have gotten GREAT coupon codes for the site that are brand specific or gives you a free diaper after $25 (so I'd want to get as many free as possible, of course!).

Scientific Observations of Cloth Diapering Thus Far

In honor of the engineering camp I got to help out with this week, I will be doing a scientist point of view for this entry! So, we're really enjoying cloth diapering so far! I just got another order of cloth diapers in and I'm really excited to try them! Since I'm a chemist, I always go through things and make my initial observations about appearance and how I think things will work. So, here's some initial observations on the few cloth diapers we just got:

• Thirsties Duo Diaper (pocket diaper, 2 sizes of which we got the larger for 18-40 lb babies): We got this one in white with velcro closures, those seem fine... pretty standard in my opinion. I like how thin this one appears to be and it comes with 2 inserts (one micro terry & the other hemp) that snap together before you stuff the pocket. I think this separation ability will be nice for drying time. I do get nervous about how thin they are and that we don't get leaks. The "double gussets" (or little elastic parts) around the legs look different then other diapers and have a good "rep" so we'll see if we see any difference! I feel like this one will also be interesting when Jack is older because it goes up to 40 lbs. With disposables Jack always outgrew them before the weight limit was up, even though he's not really that big on the charts his thighs & tummy are the chunkiest part of him, so maybe having a cloth diaper that can go up to 40 lbs would be good for him in the long run.
• BumGenius Deluxe All-in-One (all in one, large size for babies 22-30 lbs): We got this one with velcro closures in a yellow color (Matt's favorite and its neutral!). I really wanted to try an all-in-one diaper and this is the one I ordered to try. It got good reviews, still has a pocket to add extra absorbency for bedtime, and seems to be pretty cost effective. They have an organic version, but that's not necessarily high on our priorities because we'll be washing before use. I did read the instructions and you have to wash it a few times before first use to make sure its absorbent which is kind of annoying to me, but fairly common in the world of cloth diapering! I have wondered though if I should've ordered the BumGenius Elemental... okay, bad chemist joke!
• Tots Bots Easy Fit (one-size, pocket diaper): This only comes in velcro from what I can tell, but that's fine with us! We got it in white, again gender neutrality so we can reuse for any future children we might have, plus it'll not show through any clothes if he's got lighter khakis. So, I must say I'm the most excited to try this one. It is a pocket diaper, but its close to an all-in-one because the insert is actually attached. I'm not doing a great job a describing it, so check out a picture here. (This would be the part of my lab notebook when I would be gluing a picture down to explain or drawing a diagram, haha!). It looks really absorbent and soft, using bamboo fibers. Again, as with all pocket diapers you can add more absorbency if needed! This is the first diaper I really wanted to try, but chickened out because it seemed as though everyone was using the more popular diapers (and there were more reviews of those diapers). They also have a newborn size because the smallest settings on most one size diapers start from about 8-10 lbs. This diaper goes up to 35 lbs. This one is also more expensive then others in the same category, but the newborn size is about $5 or so cheaper on the website I ordered them on.

I must say that trying to keep on top of one more thing as a working mother, I was extremely hesitant to try cloth diapering. So far so good though, and even my husband is on board! He's so supportive... got to love him!

We did have one poopy diaper explosion the other day, and Matt "got" do deal with it. I don't want to totally call out the diaper because there were a few mitigating factors:

• Jack had gone a little longer between poops than he normally does....
• He was sitting in the exersaucer while Matt was getting ready for work and we have had many issues with disposables exploding when he's sitting in the exersaucer because it just tends to squish things in the wrong direction as far as diapers are concerned.

P.S. I've gotten my orders from Kelly's Closet and I must give them props for the WEALTH of information they have on their site and variety of options. Very helpful to me. There are plenty of other websites out there that I've looked at but I do keep coming back to that one.

Wee Man Wiggles!

Here's a video of the little man dancing. We had the movie Step it Up 2 on and he was watching them break dance... he LOVES the scene that was on (and yes we have it on our DVR because he danced to it the 1st time)

I pretty much love how excited he is about dancing... let's just say, he gets that from his mama! I guess we'll just work on the rhythm!

Flirty Apron Giveaway!

Angie at 5 Vinez Monkeys... and One on the Way is giving away an apron from Flirty Aprons!

I'd love to win one because I love to cook (when I get the time) and especially bake! I used to bake cookies for all of my friends in high school on their birthdays. Just ask them about my snickerdoodles!

I really like the Original in Cocoa Lime which you can see here. My favorite color is green! They have children's sizes too... I think it'd be super cute if I had a daughter to get her one. I don't think Jack would like all of the frills. They actually have a few quirky ones for guys (no frills), but Matt's not really an apron kind of guy!

The giveaway ends 8/21/2010 so there's plenty of time to go over to Angie's blog and enter to win!

Cloth Diapering Update

So, we've been using cloth diapers sporadically (when they're clean) for the past few weeks! So far, it has really been easy. Well, I guess since we are still using disposables when ever all of the cloth diapers that we ordered (only 6) are dirty or when we're out and about, we may not have gotten the full experience.

We've tried a few different types so here are my thoughts so far:

• GroVia (one-size, hybrid options): We have it in a cream color with velco closures. I really like the fit of this diaper and it feels really sturdy, as if it would last a long time (a.k.a. through multiple children)! We haven't tried the disposable inserts yet, but I've read good reviews so I hope to try some soon.
• Flip (one-size, hybrid options): We have it in a green (brighter) with snap closures (they don't appear to come in velco). So far, this one is just okay.... not bad, not that impressed! It is just one insert (with another disposable option, again haven't tried yet) that lies in the cover part. I guess it could be a little easier than a prefold diaper & cover, but I don't really see how. The insert does have embroidered on it where to fold for each size. The diagram online says when you're using it on a smaller size you put the folded end in the front for a boy & in the back for a girl. I wish the washable insert snapped in or had some way of securing it, but it really just slides under flaps i the front & back of the diaper and it doesn't feel very secure. No leaks though, so that's good!
• BumGenius 4.0 (one-size, pocket diaper): We have two (came in a package), light green with velcro & white with snaps. I like pocket diapers the most overall so far. I feel most comfortable with putting Jack in them at night, while putting two inserts into the pocket. Compared to the other 2 types of pocket diapers we got to try, the one upside is the flap that goes over the slit you slide the insert in. Kind of hard to describe, maybe I'll get a picture to better explain this.
• FuzziBunz (one-size, pocket diaper): We have an orange one with snap closures. I like this one because it seems to fit the trimmest on Jack (with just 1 insert). I do get kind of nervous though because it only has one size of an insert (others have a large and a newborn size), but we haven't seen any issues with this aspect.
• Happy Heiny (one-size, pocket diaper): We have this one in red with velcro closures. I can not lie, I got this one to try because of the name (and my maiden name being pronounced the same), but it also got good reviews. I feel like this one is easily the bulkiest, and Jack really enjoys trying to undo. I suppose I shouldn't say trying, he gets it undone every time... this isn't much of an issue as long as we keep shorts/pants on him! Again, with this being the bulkiest it is harder to get those shorts/pants over the diaper.

Some other observations I have:

• Poopy diapers are not too bad... in fact, not much more than using disposables, but we always use a flushable liner in the diaper. I guess, I shouldn't talk too much since Matt has gotten the majority of poopy cloth diapers.
• The washing routine has been really easy to get used to, and I suppose it should stay this easy since we're only washing diapers every other to ever 2 days. We're in a constant state of doing laundry anyway... what is 2 or 3 additional small loads? I feel like once we build up our stash of cloth diapers we'll be able to be more efficient. This will also allow for it not to feel so rushed to get things dried & ready to go for the next day.
• Jack used to break out practically every other day when we were only using disposable diapers... he hasn't had a breakout since we started using cloth diapers, even though we haven't been consistently using them.

Uddercovers Discount Code!

I'm updating this post because it appears as though their website is not working, so I'm not sure on the validity. Sorry!

This week is World Wide Breastfeeding Week... Uddercovers.com has a GREAT promotion for their nursing covers and even a gift package! Use the code "Breastfeeding" and it will bring your total to $0 for a nursing cover. You only have to pay shipping & handling. If you use the code when purchasing a 3-piece gift set, it brings your cost to $5 plus shipping & handling.

I got my Uddercover in the last year or so & I really like it! I actually got the gift pack that comes with washable breast pads & a nursing bracelet that helps you keep track of when the baby last nursed and what side the baby nursed from. The neck strap is adjustable (reminds me of an apron) and has a little plastic piece that bows out so you can look down & see the baby. This would've been especially helpful, in my experience, early on in breastfeeding. Jack would latch on & off randomly early on and it took patience & work to get him back on it. I found having a blanket or nursing cover to be very helpful when nursing because I'm pretty modest and Jack was VERY easily distracted while nursing (especially as an older baby or in louder rooms). I like the concept of a nursing cover because when Jack got older he would pull the blanket I was using off... which was completely ineffective! Jack was a summer baby so I really liked how it is made out of a pretty lightweight fabric!

They've got great prints for their nursing covers so go check it out & get a great deal!